DCI Dredge Godavari

Beagle Series 12 TSHD (DCI Dredge Godavari) – Project Timeline & Key Milestones

March 17, 2022
Dredging Corporation of India (DCI) signed a historic shipbuilding agreement at Cochin Shipyard for the construction of a Beagle Series 12 trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD). This marked DCI’s first major Make in India dredging project.

December 6, 2022
Royal IHC and Cochin Shipyard signed an agreement covering design and engineering, hardware supply, and technical support for the licensed construction of the Beagle 12 TSHD.
The vessel, with a hopper capacity of 12,000 m³, is being built for DCI and will significantly expand its trailing suction hopper dredger fleet.

August 13, 2024
According to The Hindu Business Line, the new TSHD—under construction at Cochin Shipyard—is expected to be delivered by September 2025.

September 14, 2024
Cochin Shipyard Limited, together with India’s Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and in the presence of Royal IHC representatives, laid the keel for the largest dredger ever built in India: the 12,000 m³ Beagle Series TSHD.
The ceremony was attended by Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, and H.E. Ms. Marisa Gerards, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to India.

Union Minister Sonowal confirmed that the dredger would be delivered to DCI by September 2025. Built under the Atma Nirbhar Bharat initiative, this vessel is the first Beagle Series 12 dredger constructed in India and represents a major step in integrating advanced global dredging technology into Indian maritime operations.

The ₹950-crore (approximately USD 100 million) dredger will play a critical role in maintaining port channels and marks a strategic shift away from imported dredgers. The vessel is based on Royal IHC’s globally proven Beagle platform and has been customized to meet Indian operational requirements. Cochin Shipyard and IHC Holland B.V. formalized their collaboration through a Memorandum of Understanding for technology transfer and design support.

During a parliamentary session, Minister Sonowal highlighted DCI’s competitive position, noting that its fleet includes 10 trailing suction hopper dredgers with a combined hopper capacity of 59,513 m³, along with cutter suction dredgers, a backhoe dredger, and various support vessels.

May 19, 2025
Cochin Shipyard Limited announced that the vessel is expected to be launched on July 20, 2025. DCI stated that the construction of this high-capacity dredger will significantly enhance India’s dredging capabilities and support the growth of coastal and inland shipping.

January 22, 2026
Construction of the new IHC Beagle 12,000 m³ trailing suction hopper dredger, DCI Dredge Godavari, at Cochin Shipyard is nearing completion.

Commenting on the vessel’s design, Jacco Damman, Chief Design Officer for Beagle-class dredgers at Royal IHC, stated:

“Building on the proven success of the Beagle class dredgers, this vessel is specifically adapted for the Indian market, featuring heavy-duty dragheads for clay-type soils and the robust IHC conical bottom valves.”

Once commissioned, the 127-meter-long DCI Dredge Godavari will be the most sophisticated and technologically advanced dredger ever constructed in India, setting a new benchmark for domestic dredging capability.